


Ethereal

by MeganRidyard99



Series: Ethereal - A Marvel Cinematic Universe Fanfiction [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Neglect, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Female Protagonist, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, M/M, Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Multi, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Past Child Abuse, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23930866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganRidyard99/pseuds/MeganRidyard99
Summary: Meredith is not your average sixteen year-old teenager; life in the cosmos is all she's ever known and it doesn't help that she's lived a sheltered but tragic life on her grandfather, Ego's planet. But what happens when he tracks down her father, Peter Quill?
Relationships: Gamora/Peter Quill
Series: Ethereal - A Marvel Cinematic Universe Fanfiction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724998
Kudos: 3





	Ethereal

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, and welcome to a little project I'm conjuring up called Ethereal. This is basically an AU of Guardians of the Galaxy with an original character named Meredith thrown into the mix. She is Peter Quill's daughter and whilst she may be introverted, I hope you all like her. :) Also, apologies if the characters are OOC because this is my first time writing for the Marvel Universe. I will admit, I'm a tad nervous because of that too. :(
> 
> Anyway, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review and I hope you all enjoy Chapter 1! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. All rights go to the original owners. All of the characters and events in this story are fictitious. Other references to real life places, events and individuals, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

_**(New Asgard, 2023.)** _

When you meet a group of special people, you become a different and better person.

When those people are taken from you, what do you become then?

I never thought I'd ask myself that question in my life ... at least, until a certain event which occurred five years ago. That... That would _always_ haunt me, so much so that I still have nightmares about it today. Quite embarrassing at my age if you ask me but at the same time, I'm _really_ grateful that I've got my family.

_Having to go through five years without them was_ _absolutely_ _horrible._

I suppose I should introduce myself, shouldn't I? Well, my name is Meredith Josephine Quill, I'm 25 years old and to other people, I'm just your average nerd who loves to play video games and listen to modern-day music. But I'm actually not, for a number of reasons. Let's start with the pros.

I am a member of this group called the "AsGuardians" of the Galaxy and it's leader, Peter aka Star Lord, happens to be my dad! Sure, he has the tendency to be an arrogant *sshole - though despite that, he has an awesome sense of humour and... he's always taken care of me. The other members of our gang are awesome too; there's Mantis (one of my best friends), Drax the Destroyer (sometimes creepy, but good-natured), Rocket Raccoon ( _very_ temperamental, but friendly), Groot (who's _so_ adorable!) and finally, there's Thor. Yeah - less said about him, the better. There are two more members of our dysfunctional family, but I'll get to introducing them later.

Now onto the cons. I suffer from social anxiety and this affects how I function in everyday life, such as socialising and building a connection with people. Sure, some of the people I had the opportunity to meet gave me a chance and I gladly took every one. But...they didn't work out, they never did and that's made my anxiety worse over the years.

_Well, at least I have my family now!_

So, feel free to grab a snack and settle in. Because what you're about to hear is the story of a little adventure that occurred. Man, this is going to be hard ... but there are a lot of memories to share; some I hold close to my heart and others I want to leave behind. It all started 9 years ago. I was 16 years old and living a 'relatively quiet' life on my grandfather, Ego's planet.

_But I had no idea that a nightmare was just around the corner..._

...

_**(** **Ego's Planet - October, 2014)** _

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

The planet I grew up on could be described as a beautiful paradise and it was, essentially. The sky was almost a warm combination of blue and yellow whilst the landscapes involved different kinds of lovely plants, bubbles of different colors floating in the air, blue lights in the sky, nature-like buildings and tall colorful statues of my grandmother, whom I was named after. I learned all sorts of awesome things about her from Ego; I learned that she was fun-loving, enjoyed listening to music and showing him around her home planet. But when I tried to ask him how she passed away, he wouldn't provide an answer, as well as where my half-aunties and uncles had disappeared off to.

You see, this is where my social anxiety comes in. Apart from Mantis, they were the only other residents on the planet and they would often think of me as anti-social, but the truth was that I was merely shy. _Painfully_ shy, might I add. But I didn't let that stop me from trying to be more outgoing - even though it didn't end well, because I was ultimately made fun of behind my back.

_You're gonna be okay Meredith, don't worry. Think of something nice._

This time, I was _desperately_ hoping it was gonna be different - so much so that I could have made myself ill from worrying too much. Why? Because a certain someone who both Ego and I never thought we'd meet had been found a couple of months ago, thanks to word getting out that he (a man from Earth) held an infinity stone without dying. That sounded impressive, yet I felt concerned for his and his friends' well being whilst Ego majorly worried about Dad.

_Argh, all he had to do was show some consideration for the friends who could have died too! That's not so hard, isn't it?_

Last but not least, Ego had told me to remain here as a 'surprise' whilst he and Mantis went out to find Dad and his friends, thus allowing me to go a _really_ nerve wracking day with not much to do other than listen to my Walkman to distract myself and he _knew_ that I was scared of being alone.

_I think... knowing what I know now, my life on his planet was even worse than I thought._

The girl in the Museum's mirror seemed to agree. I wasn't like most teenagers in the galaxy as they would often fawn over cute boys or have fun with their friends. Me? I never got to do those things and thinking about it now, I'm actually quite glad. I was one _hell_ of a geeky nerd who wore a blue plaid shirt and a grey space rocket t-shirt with my denim jeans and black combat boots. _Okay, you might make a good impression._ Though, it didn't help that my dark hair was messy - even when it was tied back in a ponytail.

_Mere, you know what? Just be you, okay? No need to look all fancy._

A series of footsteps suddenly greeted my ears and I cautiously turned round to investigate the commotion. _What the hell? They're back already?_ Nervously, I peeked around the corner of the wall ... and my suspicions were confirmed because walking into the Museum was Ego and Mantis, accompanied by three new guests - one in particular who bore a strong resemblance to me. _Oooooh! Hi Dad!_

He wasn't really what I expected, to be honest. I initially expected someone who didn't bear a strong resemblance and didn't show his emotions much, yet behaving in a friendly manner. Instead, he appeared to be a good-natured and goofy nerd just like how I was! His hair was a more lighter brown, but our green eyes matched perfectly. He was clad in a red leather jacket, grey patterned shirt, dark greyish jeans tightened by a brown belt and a pair of darker brown calf-length boots.

He had two of his friends with him; one was an emerald-skinned woman who was clad in black. Her black and red hair appeared to be as long as my hair was, even though I had mine tied back in a ponytail. The second was another grey-skinned shirtless dude who had orange tattoos all over his body and wore a pair of dark pants and matching boots.

_W-Wait - isn't that Gamora, Daughter of Thanos, and Drax the Destroyer? I remember hearing their names mentioned along with a raccoon's... Ricky, was it?_

_C'mon memory, you're better than this._

For Ego's appearance, rugged seemed to fit; grey hair and beard along with bright blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a black scarf, a grey amour shirt, black pants and boots. Accompanying him was the short black-haired Mantis, who had adorable antenna-like ears that she uses for her powers. She was clad in a dark green dress with black leggings, boots and matching bandages on both of her wrists.

"I don't know where I came from, exactly," Ego began explaining, as visual displays of his origin story began revealing themselves in white cylinders all around the room. "First thing I remember is flickering - adrift in the cosmos utterly, and entirely alone. Over millions of years, I learned to control the molecules around me. I grew smarter and stronger. And I continued building from there, layer by layer, the very planet you walk on now,"

He smiled when he saw the look of intrigue on Dad's face. "But I wanted more. I desired _meaning_. There must be some life out there in the universe besides just me, I thought. And so, I set myself the task of finding it. I created what I imagined biological life to be like, down to the most detail,"

Cue Drax to chime with "Did you make a penis?"

Hearing this, I threw myself back round my corner with a fist stuffed against my mouth. _Ugh! Why did you have to ask that, buddy?!_

" _Dude!_ " Dad shouted with annoyance.

"What is wrong with you?" Gamora growled.

"If he is a planet, how could he make a baby with your mother?" Their friend demanded. "He would smush her!"

"I don't need to hear how my parents—"

"Why? My father would tell the story of impregnating my mother every winter solstice," Drax protested, _completely_ oblivious to their disgust. _Good thing you don't know that there's a kid in the room then!_ "It was beautiful!"

"Seriously?!" Dad scowled, rolling his eyes and it took a matter of seconds from them to accidentally make contact with mine. _Oh!_ I immediately threw myself back into my hiding place and frantically scanned my surroundings for a way out. _Mere, you're dead. You're literally dead right now!_

"Who's that?"

"Pardon, son?" Ego questioned him with concern.

"You didn't tell us that you had a kid here - who was that, I just saw?"

Hearing this, Granddad smiled excitedly. " _That_ is your surprise," _I am more than just a bl**dy surprise, pal!_

He then addressed me with "Hi Meredith! How long have you been hiding back there?!"

"Long enough!" I said bluntly, unimpressed.

My grandfather chuckled. "Why don't you come out and say Hello?! Everyone's dying to meet you!"

I fought back a sigh. "Okay," _Head out in 3, 2, 1._

" _D-D-_ Do you have _any_ idea how long I've been looking for her?!" My father asked in shock, turning to see me quickly descending towards the group in an anxious state. "Mere's been here the whole time?!" _You've been looking for me?_

"Yes, son," Ego answered, smiling when Dad decided to send me a _sheer_ joyful grin to help calm my dumbfounded self down. _Which definitely helped!_ "I found her after she was born and I kept her safe here ever since,"

"Thank you," My father responded appreciatively, whilst I suddenly felt Gamora's eyes on me and an almost... maternal? type of smile painted her face when we made eye contact. I smiled shyly in return. _You know? For the Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy, she doesn't seem so bad as people make her out to be..._

"It's no problem," Ego said, before addressing Drax with a bold "And to answer your question Drax, yes - I have a penis,"

" _Granddad!_ " I shouted, slamming my hands over my ears. _Why?!_

"Oh my god," Dad sighed, struggling to hold back a chuckle when he made eye contact with me and I mouthed: What the hell did I just hear?! to which he responded with a playful eye roll.

" _Ha!_ Thank you!" Drax exclaimed with triumph. _Bl**dy hell..._ "You earthers have hang ups,"

"It's not half bad," My grandfather continued amusedly. "I've also got pain receptors, a digestive system and all the accompanying junk. I wanted to experience what it truly meant to be human, as I set among the stars,"

Cue the visual displays to reveal the many planets in the galaxy, as Ego continued explaining. "I visited thousands of planets over thousands of years, one barren husk after the next until I found what I sought," And cue Planet Earth to reveal itself. "Life. I was not alone in the universe, after all,"

Curiosity came over Dad and he asked a question which, I'll admit, I wanted to ask as well. "When did you meet my mother?"

Ego's eyes lit up happily. "Not long after," The visual displays then revealed himself and my grandmother, Meredith, passionately in love. "It was with Meredith that I experienced love for the first time. I called her my river lily. And from that love, Peter..." In the final display, Nan was holding an adorable baby boy in her arms. _Awwwww, baby Dad!_ "You,"

My father gazed at the visual displays of his origin story with amazement, unaware that his father was gazing at him with adoration. "I searched for you for so long. When I heard that a man from Earth held an _Infinity_ Stone without dying, I knew you must be the son of the woman I loved,"

Judging from the look on his face, Dad seemed like he wanted to believe everything Ego was telling him - but there was one thing that he couldn't let go. "If you loved my mother, then why did you leave her?"

Looking back, I... I remember feeling quite guilty when he asked him that - because I knew my grandfather avoided answering my questions about her death and... _maybe_ if I had pressed harder, I would have been able to help Dad out myself. _Argh, why didn't I?!_

The look on Ego's face was alarming too; it was a combination of terror, sadness and _is that remorse I'm seeing? What the?!_ "I'll explain that to you later, son,"

_And there he goes, again._

"Meredith," Ego addressed me. "Do you think you and Mantis could help everyone get settled in?"

"Yeah sure, no problem," I answered, smiling to hide my mild confusion. _Why can't you help too, though?_

"Brilliant, thank you dear," My grandfather responded, turning to leave. "I'll only be a minute,"

"Okay,"

Just after he, Mantis and Drax left, I decided to address Dad with an apologetic "Sorry about that. Granddad doesn't answer my questions, either,"

"Don't worry about it, kid," Dad reassured me, despite visible concern flashing in his eyes. "What were they, anyhow?"

"Well, one of them is how Nan passed away," I explained honestly, earning a shocked expression.

"You don't know how your grandmother died?" Gamora asked, equally surprised.

"No," I answered sadly. "I asked, but he never told me,"

Hearing this, the two adults shared a worried look before Dad replied "I'd be happy to tell you,"

"R-Really?" I stammered cautiously. "I mean, I don't want you to be upset or anything,"

"I won't," My father replied, forcing a brave smile on his face.

"Okay well, how about I show you around then?" I suggested. "We can chat along the way," Cue me to address Gamora with "And you and Drax can come along too, if you'd like?"

Gamora smiled kindly. "Thank you, but I'll stay,"

"Are you sure?" Dad asked.

"Yes, go have fun with Meredith," The emerald-skinned woman encouraged as she turned to leave. "I'll let you know when I get through to Rocket,"

"Nice to meet you, Gamora!" I called out politely.

"You too!"

_Huh, maybe I worried for nothing?_


End file.
